China deployed a record 153 military aircraft during war games near Taiwan, according to the island’s government on Tuesday. They emphasized that such exercises conducted without prior notification pose a threat to regional stability. The one-day “Joint Sword-2024B” drill, which took place on Monday without advance warning, was characterized by China as a response to “separatist actions” following a national day address by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te that Beijing criticized.

Beijing considers Taiwan, which operates under a democratic government, to be part of its territory, a stance that Taipei firmly disputes, asserting that only the people of Taiwan have the authority to determine their own future. Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai expressed to reporters in Taipei that “any drills conducted without prior notice will significantly disrupt peace and stability throughout the region.” He added that “China’s military exercises not only impact Taiwan’s immediate vicinity but also have serious implications for international navigation rights and air and sea space, drawing the attention of other nations.”

In its daily report on Chinese military activities around the island over the past 24 hours, Taiwan’s defense ministry noted the detection of 153 military aircraft. By Monday afternoon, they had already indicated that the number of aircraft observed was a one-day record, having initially recorded 125.

A ministry report indicated that 28 of the aircraft had crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, which has historically acted as an unofficial boundary, although China does not acknowledge its existence.

Additional activity was noted in the waters off Taiwan’s southeastern coast, where a significant air base is located, as well as to the southwest, near the northern part of the South China Sea, which includes the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.

The ministry also reported the presence of 14 Chinese navy vessels and 12 “official” ships, referring to coast guard and similar agency vessels. The drills conducted by China have raised alarms among the United States and its allies, with the Pentagon labeling them as “irresponsible, disproportionate, and destabilizing.”

DRILLS “BACKFIRED” ON CHINA

Taiwan has reported nearly daily instances of Chinese military activity in its vicinity over the past five years, with China conducting at least four significant military exercises since 2022. According to Kuan Bi-ling, the head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, which oversees the coast guard, these pressure tactics from China have only strengthened support for Taipei.

“China’s military drills, aimed at exerting pressure on Taiwan and the global community, have instead resulted in increased international unity against China’s expansionist actions,” she stated on her Facebook page. “Relations across the Taiwan Strait have evolved; they are now central to international dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Taiwan’s justice ministry investigation bureau reported discovering numerous false online claims, including misleading statements about Taiwan’s military response times and allegations that ships transporting liquefied natural gas were compelled to turn back. The bureau described these messages as “cognitive manipulation” orchestrated by “overseas hacking groups” that infiltrated or compromised social media accounts, without directly attributing the actions to China.

During a visit to the Matsu islands, which are under Taiwan’s control and located across from China’s Fuzhou city, a senior official from Taiwan addressed the recent confrontations between the Chinese coast guard and Taiwanese vessels during Monday’s military exercises. Luo Wen-jia, the head of Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation, emphasized that China should reflect on the type of nation it aspires to be.

“Mainland China ought to strive to be a civilized power on the global stage, fostering friendships rather than enmity, and aiming to be respected rather than feared,” he stated.

Despite Beijing’s military drills, most Taiwanese remain unfazed, having lived with the underlying threat of aggression since 1949, when the Republic of China government retreated to the island following its defeat in the civil war against Mao Zedong’s forces.

On the financial front, Taiwan’s benchmark stock index saw a rise of 0.3% on Monday and an increase of 1.4% on Tuesday, buoyed by expectations of impressive third-quarter earnings from TSMC, Asia’s most valuable publicly traded company, set to be announced on Thursday.